Paint spraying operations, comprising the use of paint spray guns, normally require the use of compressed air to effectively entrain paint therewith to be sprayed onto, for example, a suitable substrate to be painted. The compressed air needs to be filtered so as to effectively ensure that undesirable dust, debris, contaminants, or the like, are not entrained with the compressed air being supplied to the paint spray gun whereby such dust, debris, contaminants, or the like, would obviously foul the paint and mar the finish of the painted substrate. The compressed air being supplied to the paint spray gun is normally filtered by means of a suitable filter element which is an integral part of a filter canister that is normally disposed within a filter bowl or housing. The filter bowl or housing is normally removably mounted upon a filter cover, and the filter cover is operatively connected to a mounting bracket which is fixedly mounted upon a suitable support surface, such as, for example, a wall member. The filter element needs to be frequently changed or replaced, and therefore, access to the filter element requires removal of the filter bowl or housing from the filter cover. Conventionally, the filter bowl or housing is mounted upon the filter cover by several different means or structural assemblies.
A first means or structural assembly for mounting the filter bowl or housing upon its filter cover comprises the use of a plurality of bolt fasteners or screws. The operative advantage of such a structural assembly is that since the bolt fasteners or screws require a tool, such as, for example, a screw driver or the like, to remove the bolt fasteners or screws from the filter cover, the filter bowl is fixedly attached to, and securely mounted upon, the filter cover so as not to be subjected to inadvertent, accidental, or un-authorized removal or disengagement therefrom. Conversely, however, the operative disadvantage of such a structural assembly resides in the fact that the bolt fasteners or screws must be completely removed or disengaged from the filter cover in order to, in turn, permit the filter bowl or housing to be removed from the filter cover in order to thereby permit maintenance personnel to in fact gain access to the filter element disposed internally within the filter bowl or housing. Accordingly, the disassembly and re-assembly process, to be performed upon this structural assembly, is quite time-consuming and tedious. A second conventional means or structural assembly for mounting the filter bowl or housing upon its filter cover comprises the use of a quick-release ring which, in fact, is released by means of a suitable latch mechanism, however, since the latch mechanism can be inadvertently or accidentally actuated, this structural assembly is not desirable from a system operational security or integrity point of view. A third conventional means or structural assembly for mounting the filter bowl or housing upon its filter cover comprises the use of an internally threaded retaining ring which may be mounted, for example, upon the filter bowl or housing and which is adapted to be threadedly engaged with an externally threaded portion of the filter cover, or alternatively, the use of an internally threaded retaining ring that may be mounted, for example, upon the filter cover and which is adapted to be threadedly engaged with an externally threaded portion of the filter bowl or housing. In either case, the disassembly and re-assembly procedures are, again, quite time-consuming and tedious.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved structural system for operatively connecting and mounting a filter bowl or housing upon a filter cover of a filter assembly such that the filter bowl or housing may be easily and quickly removed from, and mounted upon, the filter cover without exhibiting the operational disadvantages characteristic of the prior art or conventional filter bowl or housing mounting systems or structural assemblies. More particularly, a need exists in the art for a new and improved structural system for operatively connecting and mounting a filter bowl or housing upon a filter cover of a filter assembly wherein the filter bowl or housing may be easily and quickly removed from, and mounted upon, the filter cover, wherein the filter bowl or housing can only be removed from the filter cover in a conscious manner so as to effectively prevent the accidental or inadvertent removal of the filter bowl or housing from the filter cover, and wherein, when the filter bowl or housing is removed from the filter cover, the bolt fasteners or screws, connecting the filter bowl or housing to the filter cover, will remain engaged with the filter bowl or housing so as not to thereby be separated therefrom and possibly become lost.